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Wright County, Iowa
Wright County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,229. The county seat is Clarion. The county was formed on January 15, 1851, and named after Silas Wright, a governor of New York, and Joseph Albert Wright, a governor of Indiana.Wright County Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is covered by water. The terrain is generally undulating. The county is intersected by the Boone and Iowa Rivers Major highways * Interstate 35 * U.S. Highway 69 * Iowa Highway 3 * Iowa Highway 17 Adjacent counties *Hancock County - north *Franklin County - east *Hardin County - southeast *Hamilton County - south *Webster County - southwest *Humboldt County - west Demographics |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 }} 2010 census The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,229 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,529 housing units, of which 5,625 were occupied. 2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 14,334 people, 5,940 households, and 3,938 families residing in the county. The population density was 25 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 6,559 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.93% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 2.90% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 4.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 5,940 households out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 6.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.92. In the county the population was spread out with 24.50% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,197, and the median income for a family was $44,043. Males had a median income of $29,398 versus $21,222 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,247. About 4.20% of families and 7.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.70% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over. Education Primary and secondary There are three school districts in Wright County with three high schools: Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Community School District K-12 Enrollment 954 Eagle Grove Community School District K-12 Enrollment 836 Belmond-Klemme Community School District K-12 Enrollment 793 Tertiary Iowa State University maintains an extension office in Clarion. Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, and Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls are all within driving distance of Wright County. Iowa Central Community College began offering ICN Polycom classes in Clarion and Eagle Grove in 2015. Politics Media Several small newspapers are published in Wright County, including the Wright County Monitor, serving Clarion and Dows, the Eagle Grove Eagle, and the Belmond Independent. Wright County Fair The first Wright County Fair was held in Clarion. The old fairgrounds were located where Clarion's USA Healthcare Center stands today. For some unknown reason, in 1924, the fair in Clarion closed. It was moved to Goldfield in 1925 and then to its present location in Eagle Grove in 1926. The Wright County Fair was later renamed the Wright County District Junior Fair. Entries are open to children in Hamilton, Humboldt, Webster, Hardin, Franklin, and Wright Counties.Wright County District Junior Fair Communities *Belmond *Clarion *Dows *Eagle Grove *Galt *Goldfield *Rowan *Woolstock Population ranking The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Wright County.http://www.census.gov/2010census/ † county seat See also *Wright County Courthouse *Wright County Egg *National Register of Historic Places listings in Wright County, Iowa References External links *Wright County website Category:Wright County, Iowa Category:1851 establishments in Iowa Category:Settlements established in 1851